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Summary
Education
– Once more the country is trying to fight one of its worst social problems: the illiteracy. To face such a challenge, in 2003 the president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched a nationwide program called Brasil Alfabetizado for eradicating illiteracy by 2007. This project aims at teaching 20 million people over fifteen years to read and write. But critics of the initiative say that since 1947 megacampaigns to promote literacy have been conducted showing disappointing results.Recycling – In Brazil the urban garbage usually contains a rich variety of organic matter with potential for generating energy, organic fertilizer and animal food. Today an unprecedented project of reusing that waste product has been successfully designed by a mart and food storage company – the Ceagesp. Thanks to the Ceagesp’s project, all the organic matter separated from the garbage has been recycled.
Environment – Ten counties in the inland region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, near the border with Uruguay and Argentina, have had their soil slowly eroded by a desertification process. The causes of this natural phenomenon, which started around fifty years ago, are not known yet. Farmers and cattle raisers are accused of worsening the situation. Attempts are being made to solve this problem of desertification.
Energy – A very large natural gas reserve found by Petrobras, a major Brazilian oil producer, on the north coast of the State of Sao Paulo can be of benefit to the national industry. This finding triples the Brazilian natural gas reserves.
Economy – The globalization of the world economy has affected countries like Brazil, which faces serious difficulties to find its place and trade opportunities in the international market. Some companies, however, have opened branches in foreign countries as a way to overcome obstacles that have been placed in the path, such as protectionism policies, lack of investment, etc.
Tobacco – In spite of being one of the signatories of the World Health Organization protocol proposing to ban tobacco cultivation, Brazil is the second major tobacco producer in the world, product that had a 1.7 per cent participation in the country exports in 2002. Farmers who cultivate tobacco, however, face serious health condition due to the chemical substances added to the fertilizer they have to handle.
Literature – Up to 19th century women participation in the world literature production was very restrictive. In Brazil it was not different. Many causes have led to this situation, such as male boycott on the female writings.
History – The Brazilian artist Frederico Guilherme Briggs portrayed the population living in Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century by lithography. His works show the daily life of slaves and freemen in that city. In the town of Petropolis, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, the Imperial Museum gives a Sound and Light show, projecting images of Brazilian nineteenth-century court life.
Press censorship – It is a subject that the press avoids it being discussed, but the censorship is present in the daily routine of the media, sometimes disguised so that it cannot be recognized. Press professionals report that they have been heavily censored and their articles have not been published in the newspaper they have worked for.
Administrative reform – The lawyer Ives Gandra da Silva Martins has made a speech on the administrative reform in Brazil at the Federacao do Comercio do Estado de Sao Paulo.
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